Furfuryl-2-methoxy-3,6-dichlorobenzoate

ABSTRACT

THIS INVENTION DISCLOSES THE NEW COMPOUND FURFURYL 2METHOXY-3,6-DICHLOROBENZOATE AND FURTHER DISCLOSES A METHOD OF CONTROLLING WEEDS WITH HERBICIDAL COMPOSITION WHICH COMPRISES AS THE ESSENTIAL ACTIVE INGREDIENT THE ABOVE COMPOUND.

3,000,407 Patented Aug. 17, 1971 thee 3,600,407 FURFURYL-2-METHOXY-3,6- DICHLORUBENZOATE Alfred A. Levin, Skokie, and Sidney B. Richter, Chicago,

Ill., assignors to Velsicol Chemical Corporation, Cilicago, II]. No Drawing. Filed Apr. 4, 1969, Ser. No. 813,723 Int. Cl. 607d 5/00 U.S. Cl. 260347.4 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention discloses the new compound furfuryl 2- methoxy-3,-6-dichlorobenzoate and further discloses a method of controlling weeds with a herbicidal composition which comprises as the essential active ingredient the above compound.

This invention relates to a new composition of matter and more particularly relates to the new compound furfuryl 2-methoxy-3, 6-dichlorobenzoate. This compound possesses unexpected activity as a herbicide.

The preparation of the new compound of the present invention is shown in the following example.

EXAMPLE 1 Preparation of furfuryl Z-methoxy- 3,6-dichlorobenzoate A solution of 2-methoxy-3,6-dichlorobenzoyl chloride (24 grams; 0.1 mol) in benzene (150 ml.) is charged into a glass reaction flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer; thermometer and reflux condenser. A solution of furfuryl alcohol (10 grams, 0.1 mol) in benzene (75 ml. and triethylamine (12 grams) are slowly added to the flask with stirring. After the addition is completed the reaction mixture is heated at reflux for a period of about 3 hours. After this time the mixture is filtered to remove the triethylamine hydrochloride which has formed. The filtrate is then stripped of benzene under reduced pressure to yield a solid product. This product is washed with water and is recrystallized to yield furfuryl 2-methoxy-3,6-dichlorobenzoate.

For practical use as a herbicide, the compound of this invention is generally incorporated into herbicidal compositions which comprise an inert carrier and a herbicidally toxic amount of the compound. Such herbicidal compositions, which can also be called formulations, enable the active compound to be applied conveniently to the site of the weed infestation in any desired quantity. These compositions can be solids such as dusts, granules or wettable powders; or they can be liquids such as solutions, aerosols or emulsifiable concentrates.

For example, dusts can be prepared by grinding and blending the active compound with a solid inert carrier such as the tales, clays, silicas, pyrophyllite, and the like. Granular formulations can be prepared by impregnating the compound, usually dissolved in a suitable solvent, onto and into granulated carriers such as the attapulgites or the vermiculites, usually of a particle size range of from about 0.3 to 1.5 mm. Wettable powders, which can be dispersed in Water or oil to any desired concentration of the active compound, can be prepared by incorporating wetting agents into concentrated dust compositions.

In some cases the active compound is sufiiciently soluble in common organic solvents such as kerosene or xylene so that it can be used directly as a solution in these solvents. Frequently, solutions of hebicides can be dispersed under superatmospheric pressure as aerosols. However, preferred liquid herbicidal compositions are emulsifiable concentrates, which comprise an active compound according to this invention and as the inert carrier, a solvent and an emulsifier. Such emulsifiable concentrates can be extended with water and/or oil to any desired concentration of the active compound for application as sprays to the site of the weed infestation. The emulsifiers most commonly used in these concentrates are nonionic or mixtures of nonionic with anionic surface-active agents. With the use of some emulsifier systems an inverted emulsion (water-in-oil) can be prepared for direct application to weed infestations.

A typical herbicidal composition according to this invention is illustrated by the following example, in which the quantities are in parts by weight.

EXAMPLE 2 Preparation of a dust The above ingredients are mixed in a mechanical grinder-blender and are ground until a homogeneous, free-flowing dust of the desired particle size is obtained. This dust is suitable for direct application to the site of the weed infestation.

The compound of this invention can be applied as a herbicide in any manner recognized by the art. One method for the control of weeds comprises contacting the locus of said weeds with a herbicidal composition comprising an inert carrier and, as an essential active ingredient, in a quantity which is herbicidally toxic to said weeds, the compound of this invention in the herbicidal compositions will vary greatly with the type of formulation and the purpose for which it is designed, but generally the herbicidal compositions will comprise from about 0.05 to about 95 percent by weight of the active compound of this invention. In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the herbicidal compositions will comprise from about 5 to about percent by weight of the active compound. The compositions can also comprise such additional substances as other pesticides, such as insecticides, nematocides, fungicides, and the like; stabilizers, spreaders, deactivators, adhesives, stickers, fertilizers, activators, synergists, and the like.

The compound of the present invention is also useful when combined with other herbicides and/or defoliants, desiccants, growth inhibitors, and the like in the herbicidal compositions heretofore described. These other materials can comprise from about 5% to about of the active ingredients in the herbicidal compositions, Use of combinations of these other herbicides and/ or defoliants, desiccants, etc., with the compound of the present invention provides herbicidal compositions which are more effective in controlling weeds and often provide results unattainable with separate compositions of the individual herbicides. The other herbicides, defoliants, desiccants and plant growth inhibitors, with which the compound of this invention can be used in the herbicidal compositions to control weeds, can include chlorophenoxy herbicides such as 2,4-D, 2,4,5-T, MCPA, MCPB, 4(2,4-DB), 2,4-DEB, 4-CPB, 4-CPA, 4-CPP, 2,4,5-TB, 2,4,5-TES, 3,4-DA, silvex, and the like; carbamate herbicides such as IPC, CIPC, swep, barban, BCPC, CEPC, CPPC, and the like; thiocarbamate and dithiocarbamate herbicides such as CDEC, metham sodium, EPTC, diallate, PEBC, perbu late, vernolate, and the like; substituted urea herbicides such as norea, siduron, dichloral urea, chloroxuron, cycluron, fenuron, monuron, monuron TCA, diuron, linuron, monolinuron, neburon, buturon, trimeturon, and the like; symmetrical triazine herbicides such as simazine, chlorazine, atratone, desmetryne, norazine, ipazine, prometryn, attrazine, trietazine, sirnetone, prometone, propazine, am-

etryne, and the like; chloroacetamide herbicides such as alpha-chloro N,N-dimethylacetamide, CDEA, CDAA, alpha-chloro-N-isopropylacetamide, 2-chloro-N-isopropylacetanilide, 4 (chloroacetyl)morpholine, 1 (chloroacetyl)piperidine, and the like; chlorinated aliphatic acid herbicides such as TCA, dalapon, 2,3-dichloropropionic acid, 2,2,3-TPA, and the like; chlorinated benzoic acid and phenylacetic acid herbicides such as 2,3,6-TBA, 2,3, 5,6 TBA, dicamba, tricamba, amiben, fenac, PBA, 2- methoxy 3,6-dichlorophenylacetic acid, 3-meth0Xy-2,6- dichlorophenylacetic acid, 2 methoxy 3,5,6- trichlorophenylacetic acid, 2,4 dichloro-3-nitrobenzoic acid, and the like; and such compounds as aminotriazole, maleic hydrazide, phenyl mercuric acetate, endothal, biuret, technical chlordane, dimethyl 2,3,5,6 tetrachloroterephthalate, diquat, erbon, DNC, DNBP, dichlorbenil, DPA, diphenamid, dipropalin, trifiuralin, solan, dicryl, merphos, DMPA, O-S-dimethyl tetrachlorothioterephthalate, methyl 2,3,5,6 tetrachloro N-methoxy-N-methylterephthalamate, 2 [(4 chloro-o-tolyl) oxy]-N-methoxyacetamide, DSMA, MSMA, potassium azide, acrolein, benefin, bensulide, AMS, bromacil, bromoxynil, cacodylic acid, CMA, CPMF, cypromid, DCB, DCPA, dichlone, diphenatril, DMTT, DNAP, EBEP, EXD, HCA, ioxynil, IPX, isocil, potassium cyanate, MAA, MAMA, MCPES, MCPP, MH, molinate, NPA, OCH, paraquat, PCP, picloram, DPA, PCA, pyrichlor, sesone, terbacil, terbutol, TCBA, brominil, CP-50144, H-l76-1, H-732, M-2901, planavin, sodium tetraborate, calcium cyanamid, DEF, ethyl xanthogen disulfide, sindone, sindone B, propanil, and the like.

Such herbicides can also be used in the methods and compositions of this invention in the form of their salts, esters, amides and other derivatives whenever applicable to the particular parent compounds.

Weeds are undesirable plants growing where they are not wanted, having no economic value, and interfering with the production of cultivated crops, with the growing of ornamental plants, or with the welfare of livestock. Many types of weeds are known, including annuals such as pigweed, lambsquarters, foxtail, crabgrass, wild mustard, field pennycress, ryegrass, goose-grass, chickweed, wild oats, velvet leaf, purselane, barnyard grass, smartweed, knotweed, cocklebur, wild buckwheat, kochia, medic, corn cockle, ragweed, sowthistle, coffee-weed, croton, cuphea, dodder, fumitory, groundsel, hemp nettle, knowel, spurge, spurry, emex, jungle rice, pondweed, dog fennel, carpetweed, morning glory, bedstraw, ducksalad and naiad; biennials such as wild carrot, matricaria, wild barley, compion, chamomile, burdock, mullein, roundleaved mallow, bull thistle, hounds-tongue, moth mullein and purple star thistle; or perennials such as white cockle, perennial rye-grass, quackgrass, Johnson grass, Canada thistle, hedge' bindweed, Bermuda grass, sheep sorrel, curly dock, nutgrass, field chickweed, dandelion, campanula, field bindweed, Russitan knapweed, mesquite, toadfiax, yarrow, aster, gromwell, horsetail, ironweed, sesbania, bulrush, cattail and winter-cress.

Similarly, such weeds can be classified as broadleaf or grassy weeds. It is economically desirable to control the growth of such weeds without damaging beneficial plants or livestock.

The new compound of this invention is particularly valuable for weed control because it is toxic to many species and groups of weeds while it is relatively nontoxic to many beneficial plants. The exact amount of compound required will depend on a variety of factors, including the hardiness of the particular weed species, Weather, type of soil, method of application, the kind of beneficial plants in the same area, and the like. Thus, while the application of up to only about one or two ounces of active compound per acre may be sufficient for good control of a light infestation of weeds growing under adverse conditions, the application of ten pounds or more of active compound per acre may be required for good control of a dense infestation of hardy perennial weeds growing under favorable conditions.

The herbicidal toxicity of the new compound of this invention can be illustrated by many of the established testing techniques known to the art, such as preand postemergence testing.

The herbicidal activity of the compound of this invention was demonstrated by experiments carried out for the pre-emergence control of a variety of weeds, In these experiments small plastic greenhouse pots filled with dry soil were seeded with weed seeds. Twenty-four hours or less after seeding the pots were sprayed with water until the soil was wet and the test compound formulated as an aqueous emulsion of an acetone solution containing emulsifiers was sprayed at the indicated concentrations on the surface of the soil.

TABLE I Concentration of test compound,

Weed species lbs/acre Barnyard grass 8 o Orabgrass Do woopmpoomoomoopoowoomoo The herbicidal activity of the compound of this invention was also demonstrated by experiments carried out for the post-emergence control of a variety of weeds. In these experiments the compound to be tested was formulated as an aqueous emulsion and sprayed at the indicated dosage on the foliage of weeds that have attained a prescribed size. After spraying, the plants were placed in a greenhouse and Watered daily or more frequently. Water was not applied to the foligae of the treated plants. The severity of the injury was determined 10 to 15 days after treatment and was rated on the scale of from 0 to 10 heretofore described. The effectiveness of these compounds is demonstrated by the following data:

TABLE II compound, lbs/acre Weed species Barnyard grass o Crabgrass hemamw-mw-mwoowm 6 IIC0ntinued References gggg Suter et 01., Chem. Abstracts 1939 ,001. 33, 2124.

of test compound, Injury ALEX MAZEL, Primary Examiner Weed SPGCIGS 1bs./ac1'e l'atmg r mgwecd v 8 10 B. I. DENT Z, Assxstant Examlner w fi'k g 1% Us 01 XR L V6 6d We claim: 10

1. The compound furfuryl Z-methoxy 3,6 dichlorobenzoate. 

